Sandhill Crane Migration

Every spring, the Platte River Valley is filled with visitors, both the human and the bird varieties.

Almost 500,000 sandhill cranes, or 90 percent of the world’s population of the birds, migrate through the region, and people from all over the world come to view the spectacular animals.

At approximately 3 l/2 feet tall and with an almost-6-foot wing span, anyone who has seen the annual crane “convention” can tell you the cranes are a must-see. The wide, shallow Platte is a perfect resting spot for cranes. Every night at sundown, thousands of cranes roost in the river, spending the night standing in the water where they are safe from predators. Then, as the sun rises, they fly back to the fields to feed during the day.

Cranes, one of the oldest known bird species alive, have been stopping on the Platte River for thousands of years, since the last ice age formed the Platte, researchers believe. Sandhill cranes mate for life. The pair flies the same path every year from their nesting grounds in Canada, Alaska and Siberia to their wintering spots in Texas and New Mexico.

Ft. Kearney State Historical Park. Open daily 9am – 5pm for information on sandhill crane migration, viewing areas, etc.